Ponte Vedre, FL …
Graeme McDowell has entered next week’s Valspar Championship and home of the dreaded ‘Snake Pit’ for fear of missing out on returning to the Masters.
McDowell has dropped four places on the World Rankings since earlier last month moving to 47th with victory in the Saudi International.
Graeme McDowell reveals he’s now entered next week’s Valspar Championship for fear of the WGC – Match-Play Championship being cancelled.
But since his victory along the Red Sea shoreline McDowell has slipped to be now World No. 51 and one place out of qualifying for the 2020 Master by being inside the top-50 as at Monday 30th March.
McDowell’s fear in missing out on returning to Augusta National for a first occasion since 2016 is heightened that next fortnight’s WGC – Dell Match-Play Championship in Austin, Texas, and featuring the world’s top-64, will be cancelled not by the PGA Tour but by the local Austin government
“If the WGC – Dell Match-Play is not going to happen then I need to go to Tampa (Valspar Championship) next week as it’s a dynamic situation for me because I want to give myself to play the Masters,” he said after posting a four-under par 68 on the opening day of the Players Championship.
“If I didn’t do the job this week and if I didn’t enter Tamp next week, and then decided to cancel the following week’s event in Austin doesn’t go ahead of bigger Coronavirus issues in Austin then I’ve shot myself in the foot by not playing in Tampa.
“My agent (Angela Jones) is standing here right beside me and she will be picking-up the vibes I now need to be in Tampa for the Valspar.
“Of course, that’s my own personal situation and it’s all me, me, me but it’s about the bigger picture in the world and striving to contain this virus.
“So, I have my own particular goals here in the short term and I may not get myself into the top-50 on the World Rankings.”
McDowell has to 5pm Friday (US east time) to officially enter the $6.9m event on the Innisbrook course but then a strong showing at Tour HQ could seal him a Masters invitation.
“If I was to finish top-5, top-10 this week hopefully the Valspar won’t be an issue but it is just so hard to focus on golf out there this morning,” he said.
“After the President’s announcement last night all these major sports here in the US are throwing their hat in the ring saying ‘No spectators’ and you look at our sport and it’s a very different environment.
“So, is it more of a professional sports statement that ‘we are trying to do the best we can to try and keep everyone safe’”.
McDowell’s opening Players round was two contrasting nines in being one-over after nine holes but then picking off three birdies in succession and then managing to birdie the par-5 16th ahead of a brilliant tee shot to just under four-feet at the par-3 17th and holing the birdie putt on the island green.
“I am very happy the way I played today, fairways and greens and it was about as easy as you’re probably going to see TPC Sawgrass this morning,” he said.
“The fairways were soft, greens were soft, wind was non-existent.”
